Shelter Shelves Effort To Take Dog

The battle over a Chihuahua-mix dog adopted at the Tri-County Humane Society this month appears to be over, as shelter officials said Friday they would not try to take custody of the pregnant pooch.

Tri-County officials had advised Richard and Michelle Murphy, of Boynton Beach, that the dog they got from the shelter, named Baby, should undergo an abortion because she suffers from heartworm, was on medication and giving birth could be risky to her and the puppies.

The Murphys sought their own veterinarian's opinion -- who disagreed about the risk -- and vowed that Tri-County would have to get a court order to get Baby.

Tri-County director Jeannette Christos said Friday the shelter is not going to pursue getting Baby back.

"As far as we're concerned, it will be on their conscience," said Tri-County director Jeannette Christos. "We're all saying a little prayer and hope everything turns out OK."

Michelle Murphy said she and her family are in a "hold position" and have an attorney in case the dispute goes to court.

"Our stance is that we're not the aggressors," Murphy said. "All we want is for Baby to be happy and have healthy puppies. If they want to back off and leave it be, that's wonderful for us."

Christos maintained Friday that technically, the dog belongs to Tri-County because it hasn't been adopted yet and the Murphys had Baby under "foster care."

The Murphys had taken Baby home with the understanding that she would be spayed after her health improved, and then adopted. The family later discovered that she was pregnant.

But after the Murphys balked at letting Baby undergo an abortion and publicly aired their complaints, Tri-County is ready to let the issue drop, Christos said.

"We did all we could to save this little dog," she said.

Christos also said she never went to the family's home as the Murphys had claimed.

The person that Michelle Murphy thought was at her home to pick the dog up actually was from Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, Christos said.

Tri-County, a no-kill shelter in Boca Raton, has never allowed its veterinarians to perform abortions on dogs but was considering the procedure in this case because of Baby's special medical circumstances, Christos said.

Christos said they were concerned that labor would be risky for Baby and that her puppies could have birth defects.

"Who's going to take care of the puppies if they're deformed?" Christos said.

The Murphys' veterinarian, meanwhile, said anesthesia for the abortion could jeopardize Baby's life and that the chances of the puppies having birth defects were remote.

The family plans to keep the puppies if they cannot be adopted to good homes. Baby's litter, expected to be two or three pups, is due next month.

Baby has now settled with the Murphys, whose 8-year-old daughter Alyson is willing to fight for her new dog. Baby's health is being monitored closely, Michelle Murphy said.

"She seems to be very happy and she's getting a big belly," she added.

Nancy L. OthM-sn can be reached at nothon@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6633.